Glossary
The aim of the glossary is to provide brief reminders of the meaning of a subset of
the technical terms used in the book: we do not include terms used only in the sec
tion where they are introduced and explained. Fuller explanations can be found by
using the index.
Accusative. The inflectional case of the pronouns me, him, her, us, them, whom.
Contrasts with nominative.
Active. Opposite of passive.
Adjective. A category of lexemes characteristically denoting properties of persons
or objects (old, big, round, blue, good). The prototypical adjective can be used
both attributively and predicatively (hot soup, The soup is hot), participates in
the system of grade (occurs in the comparative and superlative), and takes
adverbs as modifier (extremely hot, very useful).
Adjunct. A modifier in clause structure (The meeting ended on Sunday) or a
supplement attached to a clause (It was, on Sunday, already too late).
Adverb. A category of lexemes whose prototypical members are derived from adjec
tives by adding ·ly: audibly, cleverly, remarkably, softly, etc. Generally function as
modifiers of verbs (speaks clearly) and other categories other than nouns.
Affix. A prefix or suffix, added to a base to make up a word (or larger base):
!&lJ/riend/J!., I21:Jriended.
Agreement. Change in inflectional form to match properties of another con
stituent: in She loves you the verb loves agrees with the subject (replacing she by
they yields They love you).
Anaphora. The relation between a personal pronoun or similar form and an
antecedent from which it gets its interpretation: they is anaphoric to my col
leagues in I thanked my colleagues fo r the support they had given me.
Antecedent. Constituent whose meaning dictates the meaning of a pronoun or other
such expression in cases of anaphora.
Ascriptive. The use of be illustrated in Mike was a loyal party member, where the
predicative complement (underlined) expresses a property that is ascribed to
Mike. Contrasts with specifying.
Aspect. A verbal category mainly indicating the speaker's view of the temporal
structure of the situation the clause describes, such as whether it is habitual or
complete. The English progressive (He is working) is an aspect conveying a
view of the situation as being in progress.
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